When Does a Business Need a Consultant?

When does a business owner need a consultant? Most people would say it would be near the middle to end of the business life cycle. However, I disagree. Without a consultant, many businesses won’t make it to the middle of the life cycle. For some, the beginning is the end.

 Bad Starts

Starting a business right is more important than one might realize. Every decision made in the early days of the business sets a path, a direction, a tone, that can endure for decades. Those early choices determine how a business makes decisions, treats its customers, and prioritizes daily operations. Generally, a new business owner lacks the discernment needed to make wise decisions early on. This can set them and the business up for failure at various points along the chain. Moreover, they can face future bottlenecks in process and cause customer service issues.

 I Can Do It Better

Author and Business Coach, Michael E. Gerber says in his book, “The E-Myth Revisited” that the reason most small businesses fail is because they lack a plan. Furthermore, a small business is created out of what he calls an “entrepreneurial seizure”. Someone with a skill, talent, or trade, working for someone else, decides one day that they can run a business at least as bad as their boss. They also believe if they ran a business themselves, they would be able to keep all the profits and not have to deal with a boss.

 You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

What small business owners do not realize is that all the things that make a business run are now their responsibility. Prior to their “seizure”, their paycheck just showed up. When one begins their own business, they have to make sure everyone else got paid first. Expenses of small business are immense: insurance, licenses, vehicles, bookkeeping, payroll, utilities, rent. I could go on. If only a small business owner had someone to guide them through those early years. Someone to provide resources and help with the decision-making process. Someone to help guide policy, procedure, and process.

 That’s Me

They do. It’s me. Small Business Strategic Consultant. I have suffered the “entrepreneurial seizure” and somehow survived. Now, I use my experience, education, and network to help others avoid my mistakes. Working through developing a strategic business plan, my clients and I address the operational priorities of their current situations. We develop goals, establish objectives, and create projects that will bring them closer to their business aspirations. We focus on their brand, unique selling proposition, target market, pricing, distribution, and promotion.

 Together we work through a series of modules I have created. These modules, or components, will make up their larger strategic plan. I break up the individual modules so even the most novice small business owner can digest it and make real progress. Monthly sessions create momentum, because clients are given a short list of attainable “homework assignments” to complete by our next session. The assignments relate directly to the goals and objectives of the business.

Wrap Up

Your business isn’t just your livelihood. It’s the livelihood of all those who work for you, depend on you, and buy from and sell to you. You have a responsibility to maintain a well-run business for the good of those people, yourself, and the economy. You are part of an ecosystem and must feed your business what it needs to survive.

 Call me.

 Joanne Randall

603-344-8843